The Biden government defended on Friday the decision to remove a bust of former UK Prime Minister Winston Churchill from the Oval Office – creating a brilliant video designed to remind people “what the special relationship really is”.
“We saw some discussion about Churchill’s bust, so we just wanted to remind everyone about what the special relationship really is,” said a tweet from the United States Embassy in the United Kingdom.
BIDEN REMOVES THE CHURCHILL BUST FROM THE OVAL OFFICE AS PART OF THE REESIGN
The video contrasts images of busy people, which it describes as “just a bust of Winston Churchill” with pictures of former presidents meeting with former prime ministers – and highlights of the relationship with the USUK.
“The biggest investors in each other’s countries. This is the special relationship ”, said the video. “The special relationship is about people, values and trust.”
President Biden removed the bust of former UK Prime Minister Winston Churchill from the Oval Office display. The Washington Post, as part of a tour of the new design of the famous room, reported that Biden “does not have a bust on display”. However, other apprehensions, including union leader Cesar Chavez and Martin Luther King Jr., are on display.
British Prime Minister Tony Blair lent President George W. Bush a bust of the British wartime leader in 2001. Former President Barack Obama caused controversy by removing him when he took office in 2009, and was seen by critics as an affront to the US-UK Alliance – although his White House noted that there was still a seizure of Churchill elsewhere in the building.
The controversy persisted for years, with then London Mayor Boris Johnson noting in 2016 that “some said it was an affront to Britain”.
Former President Donald Trump restored a bust of Churchill in the Oval Office when he became president, and posted with then Prime Minister Theresa May during her first meeting in Washington in 2017.
“These are the original people, in many, many ways,” he told the press at the time. “It is a great honor to have Winston Churchill back.”
“We are very pleased,” May replied.
The UK government, which saw a pro-Brexit leader in Washington when Trump was president, will be watching to see how Biden handles relations between the two counties. The United Kingdom expects a robust free trade agreement with the United States, now that it has left the European Union and is seeking to solidify its economic independence.
Biden’s decision to remove the bust drew criticism among conservative figures on both sides of the Atlantic. The leader of the Reform Party UK and Trump’s ally, Nigel Farage, described this as a “slap in the face for the British and any prospect of good relations.”
Nile Gardiner, a foreign policy analyst and a former aide to Margaret Thatcher, criticized the US embassy video.
“The Biden White House is bending to remove Churchill’s bust from the Oval Office, saying it is ‘just a bust of Winston Churchill,’ he said.” Sir Winston Churchill saved the free world. He is a great hero on both sides of the Atlantic. Show some respect. “
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The Biden government’s decision to minimize any controversy was, however, shared by the UK government. Asked about the seizure, a spokesman for 10 Downing Street told the Daily Mail: “The Oval Office is the president’s private office and it is up to the president to decorate it as he wishes.”
The spokesman added: “We have no doubt about the importance that President Biden attaches to US-UK relations.”